Iraq expels Indonesian journalist

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Iraqi authorities have expelled an Indonesian journalist for visa violations, an Indonesian foreign ministry official said on Tuesday.

Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa told The Jakarta Post that the journalist, Dahlan, who works for the Surabaya-based daily Surya, was briefly detained by Iraqi troops guarding the border with Jordan on Monday night before he was deported.

"He is now safe in the Indonesian embassy in Amman," Marty said.

Quoting Indonesian diplomats in Jordan, Marty said Dahlan had entered Iraqi territory without a visa or the necessary documents, including a special permit from President Saddam Hussein's office that is required for foreign journalists wishing to visit the Middle Eastern country, currently under threat of attack from the United States.

Surya chief editor Anwar Hudiono said Dahlan, who has worked for the daily since 1994, managed to return to Amman in "a dramatic episode assisted by a friend in Baghdad." Anwar declined to identify the helper for the sake of his safety.

The reporter has now started work again, according to Anwar. Dahlan is now preparing a trip to Syria or Israel pending further developments in Iraq.

"God willing, he will return to Iraq somehow as he has been assigned to cover what is now happening in Iraq. He must be there if war erupts," Anwar told the Post.

He admitted that Dahlan had no visa to enter Iraq when he left Jakarta on Jan. 25, citing procedural difficulties.

Dahlan was reportedly accused of attempted espionage in Iraq, which carries the death penalty. The daily had also asked Amnesty International to help secure the release of the reporter.

During his detention Dahlan was given a chance to call the housekeeper in his apartment in Amman, who then contacted Surya.

The Indonesian government has been evacuating its citizens from Iraq as the threat of war mounts. On Tuesday, 44 embassy staffers and students left Baghdad, Marty said.

Following these latest evacuations, there are now only nine Indonesian diplomats left in Baghdad.